Washer for milk test bottles



Filed Jan. 26, 19:59

S m T A Patented May 6, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENTz QFFICE WASHER FOR MILK TEST Bor'rLss George E; Lattin, Franklin, N. Y.

Application January 26, 1939, Serial N0. 252,967

1 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus designed primarily for washing milk test bottles. These bottles are formed with long slender necks with comparatively large bases and heretofore it has been difiicult to wash them because .the narrow necks have made it difficult for water to enter, due to the trapped air, while small brushes used for cleaning the inner surfaces of the necks, have been too small for use in cleaning the inner surfaces of the bases or bodies of the bottles. Thus it has practically been impossible under these latter conditions to remove all of the butter fat so as to comply with the test requirements.

A further handicap to the proper cleaning of the milk test bottles has been the fact that under the laws of many States, not more than two pounds of steam pressure can be maintained in public buildings "and it has been found that this pressure is not suflicient to enable the use of steam for cleaning purposes.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which permits the use of hot water as a medium whereby the interior surfaces of the test bottles can be cleaned thoroughly.

A further object is to provide an apparatus which will support the bottles in such a manner as to protect them from injury during the cleaning operation.

Another object is to provide apparatus of this character which because of its safe operation, can be used without objection in various public buildings such as schools where departments of Vocational agriculture are maintained.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and. pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, a portion being broken away.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference l9 designates a hollow base and the top of this base is recessed at 20 so as to provide a receiver having a drain opening 2|.

The space within base l9 forms a distributing or pressure chamber 22 and seated in the top of this chamber are nipples 23 which project upwardly from the bottom surface of the receiver employing slender spray pipes 24 which project upwardly to nozzles 25 which can be integral therewith.

A casing 26 is secured to the base l9 as shown at 21 and this casing contains supporting means 28 which can be in the form of an angle strip, brackets or anything else of a like nature. A partition 29 is adapted to be mounted on the supporting means and contains a plurality of apertures 30 which are coaxial with the respective tubes 24.

A lid or cover 3| is removably mounted on the upper end of the casing and there is sufiicient space between this cover and the partition 29 to receive the body portions of bottles B the shoulders S of which are adapted to rest on the partition 29 while the elongated necks N of the bottles extend downwardly through the openings and around but out of contact with the respective tubes 24.

This apparatus can be of any desired shape and the bottles are of course so spaced as to be out of contact. In the illustrated structure the apparatus is round and the bottles are adapted to be disposed in concentric series.

A pipe 32 for supplying the cleansing fluid to the chamber 22 and base l9 opens into an inlet 33 and, if desired, any suitable means, such as a container 34 having a valved outlet 34', can be used for supplying soap to the pipe 32.

After the bottles have been inverted and placed on partitions 29 with their necks N extending downwardly and around the tubes 24, the cover 3| is placed in position and the cleansing fluid is then directed under pressure into chamber 22 from which it will escape upwardly through the tubes 24 and be discharged into the bottles close to their shoulders. The streams delivered into these bottles will be caused to swirl therein, thus quickly and thoroughly cleansing the containers. The fluid will then drain downwardly through the necks and into the receiver 20 from which it will flow outwardly through the outlet 2|.

If desired a supplemental tube 35 can be mounted on the base l9 so as to communicate with the interior thereof, this tube being offset and extended upwardly through an opening 36 in the center of partition 29 so :asto deliver a jet of cleansing fluid against the cover or lid 3| from which it will be splashed over the outer surfaces of the bottles.

What is claimed is:

Washing apparatus of the class described iiicluding a base containing a pressure chamber, means for directing cleansing fluid into the pressure chamber, a casing mounted on the base, a partition dividing the upper portion of the casing and having spaced apertures for receiving and supporting the shoulder portions of inverted bottles, said base having a recessed top constitut ing a receiver, there being a drain opening extending through the base from the receiver, spray pipes joined to the base and opening into the pressure chamber, said pipes being extended upwardly to and being coaxial with the respective openings in the partition, the diameter of each tube being such as .to provide an annular clearance therearound. when the tube is seated in the neck of a supported inverted bottle, a supplemental tube connected to the base and opening into the pressure chamber, said tube being extended through the partition to a point thereabove, there being a drain opening in the partition, and a cover removably seated on the casing and constituting means for engaging and holding the upper ends of inverted bottles while supported on the partition, for receiving and spreading a jet of fluid directed thereagainst from the supplemental tube, and for closing the upper end of the container.

GEORGE E. LATTIN. 

